MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. The ceasefire regime is not observed in Donbass due to permanent provocative shelling by Ukrainian troops, lasting truce can be achieved only through political settlement, Denis Pushilin, the chief negotiator for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said on Monday.

"We have had rather lengthy periods when the ceasefire regime was observed, but, regrettably, it is violated as there are no solutions of the political character," the Donetsk News Agency quoted him as saying.

Earlier, speaker of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Andrei Parubiy told US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland that Kiev is not ready to amend the Ukrainian constitution concerning decentralization and pass the law on elections in Donbass due to security problems in the region.

"Parubiy is silent about Ukraine’s provocative shelling and we are unlikely to reach any progress without a comprehensive solution. Efforts are needed to prepare grounds for political solutions and the security subgroup, along with that, should elaborate mechanisms to cease hostilities and punish those responsible to ceasefire violations," he stressed.

Attack on Gorlovka

According to the official, representatives of Donbass will raise the issue of the Ukrainian forces’ nighttime shelling attack on the city of Gorlovka at the coming meeting of the Contact Group on settling the situation in the east of Ukraine.

"The subgroup on security will raise the issues related to the shelling, death or injuries both among the civilian population and our soldiers on the frontline. The issue of Gorlovka shelling will be raised at the coming meeting," the DPR chief negotiator is quoted by the Donetsk News Agency.

The Contact Group’s subgroups on security and political issues are expected to meet in the Belarusian capital Minsk on June 28 and 29. The rest of the subgroups - on the economy and humanitarian affairs, will begin their work the next day. Also, a regular meeting of members of the Contact Group on the settlement of the situation in Donbass is expected to be held on June 29.

A source in DPR security agencies said earlier on Monday that a civilian was killed and another got severe fragmentation wounds as the Ukrainian forces launched a mortar shelling attack on Gorlovka.